Another Lifetime
by ducky116
Summary: Roswell, the way I would like it to be. I'm sure it's been done before, but I'm putting my ideas in. I'm starting all the way back in 1947 and we'll see how far I get.
1. A New World

**Author's note**

I've been sitting on this story for a while (over a year actually) because I was stuck on Chapter 2 and I don't like to release my stories for people to read unless I know I'm going somewhere with them. I decided to post this one anyway because I really like it and hopefully I can publish more as I write it and I won't get seriously blocked. Also I'm calling the story Another Lifetime for now, but I'm not quite satisfied with that title. I may change it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the main character from the show or the main plot. However, all other names and terms are mine and mine alone.

Chapter One - A New World

The sun beat down its heavy rays on the desert which stretched on and on in a wide, unbroken panorama. The landscape was dotted here by a few scrub trees and there by a few rocks and boulders. In the largest of these clumps of boulders, safely hidden from inquiring eyes, a silver craft lay. This ship, for a ship it was, was completely circular in shape, about 80 feet in diameter. The rounded top and sleek surface closely resembled a mushroom cap. Overall it had an incredibly advanced appearance, that did not in any way match its primitive surroundings.

Would anyone by chance happen upon the craft, they would be hard put to find a means of entrance. The seamless sides gave no indication of a hatch, a door, or even a peephole. The massive hull worked as a complete silence barrier so any sound from the inside could not reach someone standing just outside and vice versa. This added to the barren and desolate view.

Inside the ship, however, life was happening. In the core of the ship, busy figures were nursing a pair of strange-looking engines. Above them was a large room, a gathering room for the travelers. Six travelers to be exact. They were there now, standing together talking anxiously.

"But did you see Captain Jarial's face?" came a sweet, feminine voice. "Something must be wrong, he is always so attentive. But now he does not even seem to notice us. He's never acted like that."

"Orasse," her friend sighed. "You never see anything bad in anybody. I'm surprised you're saying this now."

"But, Krinelde," Orasse replied plaintively, "it's true. He's such a good man, this behavior is out of character for him. Am I not right, Sanet?" She turned inquiringly to her husband.

"Hush. Here he comes."

Captain Jarial entered the room. Something was obviously wrong. He seemed weighted down and his usually purposeful stride was rather limp. "I have bad news," he said quietly.

Silence fell over the room. Everyone waited for him to continue, but he did not. He seemed loathe to divulge this negative information, a loathing especially obvious in his expression.

Finally one, Toran, voiced what they all were thinking inwardly.

"What is this news, Jarial?" His voice seemed to rouse the Captain.

"As the first three colony families, you have a right to know, since it affects you. Our recent discoveries about the Terranians have not rendered the results we expected." His voice was heavy with regret. "They are not ready or open to accepting a colony of refugees. We will have to abort the mission."

"You are the Captain and it is your decision, but we have already started to make preparations and they are not reversible."

"You refer to the Shankra- the go-betweens."

"Yes."

"Do not worry, Toran. They will be taken care of. Perhaps when we return home-"

"When we return home! We will return as a failed mission. We can't even be sure that we will be accepted back."

"Hush, Krinelde. This is not true."

"No, Toran, no. I love our world, but they have high standards and harsh consequences for failing to meet them."

They fell silent again. They all knew she was right. Finally Jarial spoke again. "Worek, Sanet, what about you and your wives?"

Worek was the one to answer. "We don't want to abort the mission unless it's absolutely necessary. Are you sure? It seems to me that you are taking a high hand in this matter. We are the ones who are going to be living here. You only transport us, we have to make a success of this colony so more Antarians may come live here. As soon as you finish dropping us off you may go back to Antar in safety. If we show up, we may be facing imprisonment or even death."

"Are you quite done?" Jarial asked icily. "Good. Let me get this straight. Your success depends on me also. You get to settle in on Terra- pardon me, it's called Earth by its native inhabitants. The Antarian government is relying on me and my education and knowledge of primitive life forms to make sure it's safe for you in the first place." His voice rose to a thunder. "So as long as you are still on my ship, I am in charge. I decide when you come and when you go. I decide when it's safe for you to settle in. After I'm gone, you may do as you please.

"Now to answer the question: All their histories have shown that they are very suspicious of everything different. They have always shown signs of extreme prejudism against even their own species. They have divided up their species into races and no one race will accept any other."

"I thought that was what the Shankra was for. I mean, we always knew that they wouldn't accept us outright. The Shankra was to help with that."

"Yes, Andell. That was the original plan. The prejudism is worse than we anticipated. There is no real chance that they will ever accept us. They might not even accept the Shankra. They also will be different. Sanet, we still haven't heard from you."

"Do we have to return home? Could we try another planet instead?"

Jarial shook his head slowly. "We need a planet whose elements fit our needs. These planets are few and far between. In fact, we haven't found another. Even if we could, our preparations for this planet have made it impossible. The Shankra we have created will only be useful on this planet and the process to develop the Shankra cannot be repeated. We have no other choice. We will have to return home."

"There's no way we can stop the development process?"

"No. For the Shankra to develop, we must take the cells from each of you and mix them with blank human cells to form an Antarian-Terranian life form. As you know this is so they have Antarian DNA and genetically they will be your children but with human cells that will give them a Terranian appearance. For them to work as go-betweens, as Shankras, they must be formed with cells from the inhabitants of the plane they were designed for. This is why the Shankra we have developed will only be useful here."

"How many of them have we made?" Toran asked.

"Four. Since you and Krinelde are the leaders, we have taken your combined cells and made two, one male and one female, to share the leadership responsibilities. From Worek and Andell, one, and from Sanet and Orasse, one. Now that the cells have already been combined and the development process has started, the Shankra are now living beings. To stop the process would mean taking four innocent lives and that would be morally wrong. We may be desperate, but not evil. Even though the Shankra are not fully developed, they are living beings and they have their rights."

Silence reigned over the group.

Toran was the first to speak. "We understand. Krinelde and I agree to abort."

"Sanet?"

Sanet knodded. "Orasse and I also agree."

"Worek?"

"Yes," he replied sullenly, still smarting from the Captain's severe reprimand. "Andell and I will make it unanimous."

Jarial turned to his log. "I will make is official." He made the entry. "We will return to our home planet, take the Shankra with us and try again."

"Have the Shankra's names been recorded yet?" Krinelde asked.

"See for yourself. It's written in the book."

They each silently read the names: Zan, Vilandra, Rath, Ava.

**A/N: So there it is. I hope you like it. Feedback, even criticism is greatly appreciated.**


	2. The Crash

**Disclaimer:** All characters in the show do not belong to me. The overall plot to the story does not belong to me. I'm only borrowing them for a little while.

Chapter Two - The Crash

The hot desert sun continued to beat down on the hull, but the metal barrier stubbornly refused to let the heat penetrate through to the activity within.

The upper deck, the passenger deck, had only six occupants. This area was the least active as the colonists merely sat and conversed with one another.

On the bridge in the center of the ship, Captain Jarial spoke to his officers to give them primary orders and instructions for the trip. Zuteiron on communication, Leimarq on tacticals, Goskam and Korat on systems, and Balin on navigation.

In the engine room at the bottom of the ship, the entire working crew rushed around as the final adjustments were made in preparation to depart Terra. Systems were checked for malfunctions, mechanical hardware was adjusted, and the ship's computer was programmed for the flight.

At last all activity died down and a call went from the engine room to the bridge. "Captain, we're ready whenever you are."

"Check." He turned to Goskam. "Stand by engines while I inform the colonists about our departure."

As Jarial made the call to the upper deck, a lone figure in the engine room crept to an unoccupied station in the corner. He glanced at his fellow crew members to make sure no one was watching before entering some commands into the console. He smiled as he rubbed two stubs on his left hand where two fingers used to be. He had succeeded.

A call came from Goskam on the bridge. "Ready engines."

~*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*~

The colonists had settled down for the journey. They had a long way to go to get back home and they might as well make the most of it.

A barely perceptible hum filled the room. "Engines," said Worek. "Here we go."

~*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*~

The stillness of the desert was broken as the craft lifted smoothly off the ground, hovered for a moment and then rocketed skyward. Inside the ship, the occupants hardly noticed the acceleration, but they felt the moving sensation as they rose through the air.

The first few minutes were smooth and then the ship started to tip drunkenly to the side.

"Captain, there's something wrong with the artificial gravity system," Korat said agitatedly. "It's throwing the whole ship off balance."

"What happened?"

"It looks like sabotage, sir. Some changes were made after all preparations were completed."

"Can you fix it?"

"I think so."

~*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*~

A group sigh of relief rose from the colonists as the ship righted itself, but the relief was short lived as the ship began to tip again, this time more quickly than before. The Antarians lost their footing as they tumbled and slid to the side of the room. They struck the wall and then slid the other direction as the ship struggled to right itself. This time the room turned completely upside down, throwing them to the ceiling with a vengance and then back to the floor as she came about again. Then the movement stopped and in the stillness only quiet cries of pain and fear could be heard.

A tremor ran through the ship, like a shudder when someone runs their finger up your spine. The tremor was so ominous that it stunned the entire group. Before they had recovered their senses, another spasm struck and then another. The shaking grew so violent that one by one the Antarians once again lost their footing. The shaking stopped abruptly and in the ominous stillness one could feel a slight sinking feeling.

The six looked at each other. No words were needed; they all knew they were going down. They clasped hands and hearts. If they had to go down, they would go down together. Through their physical and mental bond, they sent messages to each other, messages of fear, hope, love, and friendship. The room began to tip again and the sinking feeling became stronger as the vessel plunged to the earth. Then the ship struck the ground and it was all over.

~*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*~

Leimarq groaned and lifted his head. He was surrounded by the debris from the bridge. Smoke rose from smoldering parts of the ship. Pulling himself to a sitting position he scanned the area for his fellow officers. Spotting someone pinned under a metal beam, he got to his feet and wedged the beam off the still figure. It was Korat and he had no life signs.

He began to search for the rest and found and identified them one by one. Balin- dead. Captain Jarial- dead. Zuteiron- dead. Goska- dead. He even found the colonists, still holding each other together. All dead.

He must be the only one to survive. He began to call aloud hoping someone was alive and would hear him. Silence answered him.

Then he heard the clatter of something being pushed over. He ran to see and saw one of the engine crew climbing out from under some debris.

He helped the crewman up. "Are you okay?"

"I think I'm fine. You're Leimarq, tactical officer, right?"

"Yes."

"I'm Koz."

Together, they searched for more survivors. After a couple hours they had to call off the search when they didn't find anyone else.

"I guess it's just us." Koz sounded almost relieved.

Leimarq wasn't listening. He was looking at two large metal boxes. "What are those?"

Koz went to investigate. "I don't know, but there are some sort of monitors recording vitals. I think there's something alive in there."

"It must be the Shankra." Leimarq examined the readings. "It looks like they're okay. We have four more survivors."

"We have no use for them. Leave them. We need to get out of here before the Terranians find this place."

"No. They're our own kind. We can't leave them to fall into the Terranians' hands."

"Suit yourself." But Koz did help stack the containers and carry them away.

"We need to find some place safe to keep them."

"We could put it in there," Koz pointed to a large rock formation. "Nobody would find it there."

"Good idea." They made their way to the side of the rock and climbed up as high as they could go before carefully putting the containers down. "This looks good. I'll make an opening."

Leimarq placed his hand against the side of the rock and the side of the rock began to glow and shimmer before it disappeared completely, revealing a large space inside that he had hollowed out. They placed the containers inside. They opened to reveal two pods in each container.

Leimarq lifted them out. "We'll use materials from the wreckage to build something to hold them. Here's a book that shows what the development process is. There's a lot more information too."

"Then what happens?" Koz asked grimly.

"Then we run."

**A/N:** I have the next chapter mapped out in my mind. I'll probably get it written out in the next couple days. We'll see.


	3. Capture

Here it is. Sorry for the delay (stupid writer's block). Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any basic plot lines in this chapter, I have tweaked and invented for your entertainment.

Chapter 3 - Capture

The sun had disappeared hours ago and in its place, the moon shone brightly in the calm desert night. Two shadowy figures stepped out from the opening in the rock.

"I'll just seal this up so no one can find it," Leimarq's voice drifted through the semi-darkness.

As he turned to complete his task, Koz walked straight out into the desert. They had made several trips back to the crash and managed to retrieve the materials as well as some other items they had discovered among the wreckage. On their last trip, they had ended up having to run because the Terranians had found the crash field. Leimarq shortly joined him and neither of them said anything as they struck out across the hard ground.

As they got near the road, they saw the buzz of military vehicles still racing along the road. They turned and put as much distance as they could between themselves and the Terranians.

They walked for hours and hours before exhaustion finally forced them to seek refuge. As if by fate, they came to a small, bubbling stream. They both drank a long draught and splashed the water on themselves to remove the gritty sand from their bodies before lying under a nearby tree and slipping gently into peaceful sleep.

The last thing they heard as they drifted away from this world was one lone bird singing above them. They didn't hear the second bird join the first or the dozens of other birds that woke and sang a welcome to the coming day. The black sky slowly turned a dark gray and then lightened to a smoky blue-gray before the sun licked oranges and yellows in the eastern sky.

Before the actual sun appeared in the sky, a figure appeared in the distance. As the figure neared one could make out the pole in his right hand and the box in his left. When he reached the stream, he noticed the two men lying under the tree. Without hesitating, he dropped his box and pole and ran swiftly the other direction. Oblivious of the intrusion, the men slept on.

The running man made swift progress straight to a little gray house. He startled his wife as he burst into the kitchen.

Recovering rapidly from her shock, she questioned her husband, "Is something wrong, Chuck? I thought you were going fishing?"

He tried to catch his breath. "I was- But when I got to the creek- Saw two men sleeping under a tree- Remember the announcement last night on the radio? The one- about the escaped prisoners? I think they might be some of them. I'm calling the police right now." He grabbed the telephone to place the call.

*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*

The hot sun pierced the horizon and as it started to climb the sky, it's harsh rays woke the two sleepers. They returned to the water to drink before Koz noticed the box lying on the ground. He opened it to reveal some sandwiches, an orange and a small thermos of coffee. He showed it to Leimarq.

"What do you think this is?"

Leimarq carefully picked up the orange. "This is some sort of fruit." He tried ineffectually to open the thermos and then shook it, listening to the sloshing sound inside. "This is some sort of drink. And those most be some other sort of food."

"Do you think it's okay to eat?"

"We need some sort of nourishment. We might as well try it." He broke open the orange and gave half to Koz.

Just as they finished Chuck's lunch, they heard the hum of engines a short distance away. They looked at each other. "Run!"

As they got to the other side of the creek, three jeeps appeared. Leimarq and Koz ran as fast as they could, but they were no match for the powerful engines. They were surrounded by cars and men holding weapons. Surrendering to the formidable numbers, they laid on the ground in a passive position. Lying there, listening to the strange, guttural language of the Terranians, Leimarq could only hope the Shankra would be okay if anything happened to both Koz and himself.

*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*ZVRA*

Leimarq opened his eyes and once again surveyed the blank walls that surrounded him. He'd been here so long that the days all ran together. Every day more pain and torture, more white figures prodding him, twisting him, cutting him. Every night trying to heal his body before it all started again the next day.

It hadn't taken long before he had been able to understand the Terranian's language. But they never talked to him, just about him, so he just let them think that he didn't and couldn't understand. He learned more that way. They less they thought of him, the more they talked about him, about their plans, about Koz, who was confined nearby.

Through their conversations, he also kept track of the time. Three years had gone by. They hadn't mentioned finding the cave that he and Koz had hidden away. He had 40 years until they needed to get back. If only he could last that long.

Four white figures entered the room. Those familiar faces meant more torture and he could feel the anger in him rising. How much more of this did he have to endure?

They held him tightly and released his restraints before dragging him out of the room. As the all too familiar torture room came in sight. Leimarq broke down. "No more," his mind and body screamed, "not again." He gave in to his anger and began to fight. This time he didn't hold back.

One of his handlers hit the wall with a force strong enough to break his neck. The second sailed all the way down the hall and landed in a crumbled heap. The two remaining slammed him against the wall. He put each of his hands against their chest, near their respective hearts. As the energy flowed from him, their faces contorted in agony as their insides melted into a gelatinous puddle. They slid lifeless to the floor and Leimarq stepped over them, his appearance changing to resemble the man with the most authority in the base, Agent Lewis he was called.

He strode quickly towards Koz, trusting his inner voice to tell him where to go. When he reached to room, the soldier snapped to attention.

"Soldiers," Leimarq barked out. "Is the prisoner secure?"

"Yes, Agent Lewis."

"The other prisoner has broken loose on his way to interrogation. You're needed to assist."

The soldiers hurried out of the room. He made his way to Koz's side and reached out to release the bonds holding him. As soon as Koz was free, his hand seized Leimarq in a hostile manner. As soon as he touched him, however, a look of recognition came into his eyes.

"It's you! Are we getting out of here?" he asked.

"Yes, hurry."

Nothing more need be said, the two men raced through the halls, as they passed the dead men on the floor, Leimarq felt good for the first time since before the crash. It felt good to give back to them what they had been doing to him for years.

Soon they would be out of this hell-hole and they would never capture him or anyone of his again.


End file.
